Curious? “I don’t think being curious is a good enough reason to get my heart broken again, do you?” I ask, unable to hide the bite in my tone.
“So you haven’t forgiven me,” he muses, nodding his head thoughtfully.
“No, I have forgiven you. I just haven’t forgotten, nor will I ever,” I return, quieting when our drinks are brought to the table.
“I don’t want you to forget, but I want another chance,” he says softly, watching me with my son’s eyes.
I sigh. “Look, it’s really not even about that. The way things are? I want them to stay that way. We can’t go taking chances like this when we have Parker. We need to put him first.”
“And you think that taking a chance with us will be bad for him?” he asks, staring me in the eyes. “What if it works out, Giselle?”
“What if it doesn’t?” I counter.
“I don’t want to live out the rest of my life wondering what if,” he says. “Potential failure isn’t a good enough reason not to try. What message does that send to Parker?”
Manipulative bastard.
“What about one date night a week? After a month, if you decide you don’t want to give me a chance, I’ll back off.”
Do I want him to back off? I don’t think I know what I want.
“Four dates?”
“Four dates,” he replies, bobbing his head.
“Okay, deal.”
His satisfied smile makes me slightly nervous. Four dates with Tane Miller.
I can survive that with my heart intact … right?
Chapter Twelve
Tane
I ignore the call from my personal assistant, Julia, who has been ringing non-stop. I don’t know what she could possibly want to contact me for. I know it could be important¸ but I’ve taken leave. I’ve already said that I won’t be making any appearances or doing any club events until I’m ready to. I need this break. It’s the first time I’ve taken time off in years, and I know I’ve earned it.
I’ve been mixing some beats at home, in the studio I’ve set up just for me. They remind me of why I got into this industry in the first place: my love for music.
I love how a song can bring back memories. I love it even more when you connect to a song so much, you feel like that artist wrote it about you. I’ve been mixing samples of songs that remind me of Giselle with the beats of other tracks, blending the old and making something completely new.
Kind of like us.
I call it Spin My Love.
I listen to music as I get dressed. Tonight is my first date night with Giselle, and I’m so f**king thrilled she agreed to give me a chance. As I drive to her house, I try to calm my nerves. I need to change her mind about me. I park my car in her driveway and walk to her door, which opens before I can even knock.
“You’re on time,” she says in greeting, stepping out and locking it behind her. Her red dress is long-sleeved but short, showing off her shapely legs.
“You look beautiful,” I tell her, my eyes greedily roaming over every inch of her.
She turns and smiles shyly. “Thank you. I wasn’t sure where we were going so I hope I’m not overdressed.”
She is definitely overdressed. I’d love to help her out with that and peel off every bit of clothing she’s wearing. She looks f**king edible.
“You look perfect,” I tell her, putting my hand on the small of her back and leading her to my car. I open the door and stare at her creamy thighs as she slides in.
“Enjoying yourself there?” she calls out dryly just before I close the door. I grin unrepentantly as I walk to the driver’s side and hop in.
“Can you blame me?” I ask her as I start the car.
She turns to me and flashes a smirk. “Will you tell me where we’re going now?”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
“I don’t like surprises,” she says.
“You say you don’t like surprises, but you actually do,” I reply, gazing at her profile. “You just can’t stand the anticipation.”
At least, that’s how I remember her.
I take her silence as confirmation that I’m right. Nice to know that some things haven’t changed.
“I can’t believe I’m on a date with you,” she finally says with a strange laugh, wringing her hands. I reach over and take one hand in mine, stopping her nervous gesture.
“I’m still me, Giselle,” I whisper, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
“You are and you aren’t,” she replies, staring down at our entwined hands. “Why did you turn to drugs? Was it because of your mum?”
My hand grips the steering wheel. I hadn’t expected her to be so blunt. Tension builds, as I remain silent.
“I guess that’s not really first-date material,” she backtracks.
“We have a kid together, so I guess we have different rules.” I sigh. “I’ll tell you what, at the end of each date I’ll answer one question, and you can make it as brutal as you wish.”
Giselle knew I handled it badly when my mother passed away, but she doesn’t know the truth of what happened with my dad.
No one does, except my cousin Keiran.
Keeping it bottled up inside wasn’t the smartest thing I’ve ever done. I let it fester; let it grow into something I couldn’t control. That, mixed with my mother’s death and leaving behind everyone I cared about, meant I wasn’t in the best place.